| A Week at the Wheel | Dublin, Ireland | Toyota Land Cruiser V8 TD |

Did you know Toyota makes a V8 Land Cruiser? I didn't, until we were asked if we wanted to try it out for size. Size is a key word here, as it dominates the car. You see, the V8-engined Land Cruiser is a completely different vehicle to the trusty SUV seen on building sites across Europe. This Land Cruiser is sold in the USA as a Lexus, which should hint at its positioning in the market place, despite the Toyota badge on the nose.

Inside & Out:

You don't need to be a car spotter to notice where the V8 model differs to the regular Land Cruiser range. The distinctive angular lines of the mainstream model are replaced by a more generic, bulbous shape. It's not a particularly exciting design, though it has presence due to its sheer size; in black, kitted out with large alloy wheels it has got a certain amount of street cred. Though the target market may not care, this Land Cruiser is as likely to attract the irate attentions of the green movement, as it appears to represent everything that the anti-4x4 brigade hates.

Despite Lexus beginnings, the V8's interior is not as impressive as you might expect. Though undoubtedly of high quality and crammed with electronic goodies as standard, it is a little dated and upright, lacking in any real style. However, it makes up for that in comfort and space. There is more than ample room to stretch out in most directions in the first two rows of seats and the third row isn't awful either. It's a pity the rearmost seats cannot be stowed below the floor though.

Engine & Transmission:

There are not many V8 turbodiesels available to the average buyer, as more car makers opt for the lower capacity route with more sophisticated boosting. Toyota's 4.5-litre unit isn't the quietest engine around, but only at idle does it sound like an ordinary diesel. Request more revs - something the V8 is happy to comply with - and the engine note becomes much more sophisticated.

Naturally, the only transmission option is an automatic, and the six-speed unit makes a competent companion for the V8, though you'll sometimes find yourself taking over the decision making, as the 'box drops a gear or two when there is no need, given the masses of torque on offer.

Ride & Handling:

This is probably the lowest we've graded any car in this category. It's not that the V8 is going to fall off the road, but it just feels unsettled in all conditions we put it through other than at a motorway cruise. In Normal or Comfort setting, the suspension struggles to control the body's movements, while Sport is just too stiff. Given the potential this Land Cruiser has to reach high speeds in short order, we'd have hoped for more competence in the chassis department. Perhaps it makes more sense when fully loaded.

Equipment, Economy & Value for Money:

Gadget lovers will be kept entertained for hours in the cockpit of the V8 Land Cruiser. Along with niceties, such as multi-zone climate control, one-touch electric windows, folding mirrors, Bluetooth connectivity and an extensive infotainment system, there are a series of buttons for the chassis and gearbox settings, as well as the option to lower or raise the ride height according to the conditions.

Despite all that, the asking price seems a little steep when VW will sell you a high-performance Touareg V10 TDI for a little less. The Touareg may not seat seven, but it betters the Toyota in most other respects (other than fuel consumption) and arguably has more status.

Overall:

There can't be many buyers out there that really need the Toyota Land Cruiser V8, which should mean it's relatively rare. Even so, it's fairly anonymous, which may suit buyers. However, at the price, it's difficult to ignore the myriad accomplished alternatives, such as the VW Touareg, BMW X5, Audi Q7 and even the Mercedes-Benz GL-Class.